1066 Country Tourism Businesses crowned at ‘The Beautiful South Awards’

1066 Country Tourism Businesses crowned at The Beautiful South Awards.

BRIGHTON’S Grand Hotel provided the setting for this year’s Beautiful South Awards on Thursday, December 4.

The event welcomed over 275 industry professionals from the elite visitor experiences across the South and South East of England and recognised their contribution to the tourism industry. Established over 20 years ago, The Beautiful South Awards help drive ambition and raise standards throughout the region rewarding excellence, quality, innovation and customer service.

It was a particularly good evening for 1066 Country businesses, with five star Crowhurst Holiday Park and five star boutique B&B Swan House, Hastings both scooping Gold as top holiday park and top B&B of the year in their respective categories.

Winning their third award in this annual event, Rye Tourist Information Centre achieved Silver in the Visitor Information Provider of the Year category and was described by the judges as, “A shining example of what a Tourist Information Centre should be”.

Crowhurst Park’s Julie Hannah was delighted to win Bronze in the Outstanding Customer Service category.

Brendan McDonagh, co proprietor of Swan House, Hastings, said: “We are absolutely ecstatic to have won the Gold Award in the Bed and Breakfast category. Our success has been a real team effort. We won Gold in 2009 and to be recognised again in this way, five years on, has us bursting with pride. The awards ceremony was a fantastic evening, not only for Swan House, but for Hastings and 1066 Country”.

Tracey Young, manager of the Rye Tourist Information Centre, said: “We are delighted to have received a Silver award at the 2014 Beautiful South Awards. It is a fantastic achievement to be recognised at this level for the quality of service that we deliver, and we are thrilled at receiving such wonderful feedback from the judges”.

Commenting on the awards, Kevin Boorman, manager of 1066 Country Marketing, said: “These are excellent results for us, and show what a great quality tourism product we have here in 1066 Country. To get two ‘best in show’ winners, and two other awards also, for our small area in a huge regional competition is a credit to the industry. We often think we punch above our weight, these results prove it.”